Chapter 55.2 - Having Father’s Concubine Bleed Big Time (2/2)
No wonder relying on this face was enough to seduce Fifth Prince!
Even an outstretched hand doesn’t slap a smiling face. Though Wang Xue Ru loathed Luo Qing Luan, she nevertheless wouldn’t express this to her face. With a blink, she changed to a smiling face. “Oh, Qing Luan, didn’t the empress keep you at the palace yesterday? Why are you home so quickly? Who sent you back home?”
Luo Qing Luan didn’t answer her questions and only asked. “Oh, by the way Father’s Concubine, Father said that he wanted to remodel my courtyard. It is temporarily unlivable, so he had me stay at Elder Sister’s Flowery Frost Courtyard, right?”
Once she mentioned this, Wang Xue Ru also felt an unspeakable resentment, but she already vented about it in front of Luo Cheng before uselessly. Otherwise, how would she agree to take out the money?
“Oh yeah, look how good your father is to you. She still loves you the most, therefore, you need to be a bit more sensible. As for the courtyard, it’ll be livable with just a little bit of work……”
Wang Xue Ru was just going to tell Luo Qing Luan to be grateful. Her courtyard only needed a little bit of work and money should be saved as much as possible. Merely this morning, she already withdrew three hundred taels of silver from the general fund. Her heart basically hurt so much that her heart and liver were trembling.
But Luo Qing Luan simply didn’t wait for her to finish speaking before she responded smilingly. “Yes. I understand Father’s kind intentions. Father already told me now that the empress favors me, there may even be people coming from the palace. If someone were to find out that the place I live in was so simple and crude, he’s afraid that it won’t look good. That’s why Father said that the remodel has to be beautiful, so that it’s exhibit our General Mansion’s impressiveness.”
“Father’s Concubine, for this remodel, maybe two or three thousand taels of silver should be spent, right?” After she finished speaking, she deliberately looked at Wang Xue Ru with a smile that wasn’t a smile, appearing very happy.
“It’s a remodel, the foundation is still there. It’s not like we’re constructing a new building, so not that much is needed. Five hundred……”
“Huh? Only five hundred? That’s unlikely.” Luo Qing Luan immediately declared, “Father said that he’ll buy the best furnishings and the garden will also need to be landscaped with flowers and grass. We also need to build a koi pond. From what I can see, not even two or three thousand may be enough.”
“This……” Even though she knew that Luo Qing Luan was using the opportunity to rip her off, yesterday, she was kept by Empress Wang to stay overnight in the palace. This was an undeniable fact. Wang Xue Ru continued with a bleeding heart, “That still doesn’t need to cost so much. One thousand taels of silver……”
Luo Qing Luan frowned and interrupted her again, “In my opinion, let’s discuss this with Father once again. The empress said that she’ll probably grace our General’s Mansion with her presence sometime. In case at that time, the empress think that……”
“Qing Luan, what did you say? Her Highness the Empress wants to visit our General’s Mansion?” Wang Xue Ru responded in disbelief. How’s that possible. The empress was the mother of a country. How could she casually leave the palace? Even if they’re the General’s Mansion, that’s probably still not enough for Her Highness the Empress to grace them with her presence, right?
*TN: During ancient times, besides material possessions, people may also be a part of the bride’s dowry and they accompany the bride to the husband’s home. Commonly, ‘dowry people’ included maids and the bride’s wet nurse.